Feb 28, 2004 05:10 pm Just curious, but if you are using software compression, why do you want to compress during the recording process. You have much more versatility if you wait until after it is recorded.
Recording with effects in Sonar
Posted on Feb 28, 2004 01:50 pm
Dave Morgan
Member Since: Sep 26, 2003
There has been a lot of discussion about using compression ahead of the sound card, but how do you actually use it while recording? I'm using Sonar 2.2. I have used effects after the track is done, do you just put an effect on the track before hitting record or what?? Thanks
Dave Morgan
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Feb 28, 2004 05:10 pm Just curious, but if you are using software compression, why do you want to compress during the recording process. You have much more versatility if you wait until after it is recorded.
Feb 28, 2004 05:47 pm I use some compression and peak limiter on vocals while recording, because digital recorders are sensitive to sudden change of amplitudes. Also I use some expander and compression on drums and compression or limiter on el.guitar. Its easier to process the tracks later.
Feb 28, 2004 08:07 pm You cannot use software compression to compress a signal before it enters the computer. When people talk about using compression before the sound card they are talking about a hardware compressor. There is something called input monitoring in Sonar that would allow you to hear software compression while recording, but you would not actually be compressing the sound before it reached the soundcard which would eliminate the benefits of pre-interface compression. The advantage is that if you compress beforehand you can keep a higher signal-to-noise ratio and prevent clipping on instruments such as vocals with a huge dinamic range. I only use hardware compression on vocals and a little on drums.
Feb 29, 2004 08:26 am I really would just like to limit peaks, understanding no compression would occur before the sound card, how about "compression before the track"? after it's into the computer.
Dave
Feb 29, 2004 01:09 pm what is the point of that really? why not just adjust the gain carefully so that you never peak, despite the hardest hits, but still maximize the volume? you don't save anything on noise or anything like that, considering that you would bring up the noise floor with the limiter anyway...
Feb 29, 2004 01:12 pm because if a takes not quite perfect, there'll be fluctuations in soun level where there shouldnt be. for example, a singer who moves slightly away from the mic whilst singing.
compression will sort that.
Feb 29, 2004 01:16 pm something that could be corrected with software compression...i'm wondering why you would want to employ a "safety" limiter or compression when you could take extra care adjusting levels in the first place and keep from hard-coding your options beforehand.
Feb 29, 2004 01:22 pm oh, whilst recording in? gotcha
just convenience, i guess...
Feb 29, 2004 03:59 pm Some things, like screamy vocals, will fluctuate and peak even if you are careful. Heck, you still have to be careful even with compression. But things just sound better when they're tracked louder... even when played back at the same volume level. It's nice to run your preamp a little high if it's of a decent quality.
Dave- Once the signal is in the computer it doesn't matter. If it clipped, it clipped. If not, you can then use your software compression in the computer (Or even if it did, but you'll still hear the clipping that occured beforehand). It would make no difference whether it came before Sonar or in Sonar.
Mar 01, 2004 09:07 am Above comments are all appreciated. I haven't had much trouble with peaks etc, but have been trying to avoid the dreaded "digital" distortion. Thanks everybody for your input.
Dave
Mar 01, 2004 02:54 pm Clipping/peaking = digital distortion. Glad I can be of assistance :)
Mar 01, 2004 11:02 pm OK guys, in Sonar 2.2 you can moniter the effect but not put it to live recording. In Sonar 3 however you can record the effect right to the track live. There is a work around to do it in 2.2 but I am at a loss to remember how I did it.
Mar 03, 2004 02:11 pm That wouldn't do any good for compression, though, would it, Noize?
Mar 03, 2004 09:52 pm Heck ya, in Sonar 3 you would set up your compressor and run it just as if it were an insert. At the demo the guy used it on his bass track that he recorded live right smack in front of us.
Mar 04, 2004 09:29 am So doing it the way you describe Noize..would be just like having a real compressor outside the computer..compressing the audio BEFORE it has a chance to peak in the computer?
Mar 04, 2004 11:09 am That's what I'm wondering, too... that's awesome if you can.
Mar 04, 2004 11:14 am If you do not compress or limit before the sound card you are still clipping the computer, it may not be recorded, but you are still clipping at the sound card...which is not advisable.
Mar 04, 2004 12:46 pm That's what I thought.
Mar 05, 2004 09:19 pm Indeed that is correct. But that too can be accomadated by using your sound cards input mixer to limit the incoming audio, it is not perfect as it would be if using an outboard unit but it works for the most part. Your sound card will act as a hard limiter as long as the levels are set to not allow the signal to go above a certain level. And then the compressor in the software will take over form there.
But to acheive the perfect signal coming in it is most advisable to use an outboard compressor.
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